Smoke cleaning apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for filtering and washing smoke containing solid particles passing upwardly from a furnace or incinerator to a chimney is described. One conical baffle assembly and helical baffles are interposed in a smoke cleaning stack or in the chimney. The conical baffles assembly strains the smoke. The helical baffles contain spray pipes which emit sprays of water into the smoke to entrain solid particles. The dirty water is drained out through the stack without passing through the conical baffles. The dirty water may be filtered and recirculated. A deodorant is discharged into the cleaned smoke before passing up the chimney. A blower forces the cleaned deodorized smoke up the chimney.

United States Patent [72] lnventors NicholasKlein 2043 Creston Ave.,Bronx, N.Y. 10053; Yeshave Levy, 127 Penn St., Brooklyn,

Primary Examiner- Frank W. Lutter AssistantExaminer--Steven H. MarkowitzAttorney-Polachek & Saulsbury ABSTRACT: Apparatus for filtering andwashing smoke containing solid particles passing upwardly from a furnaceor incinerator to a chimney is described. One conical baffle assemblyand helical baffles are interposed in a smoke cleaning stack or in thechimney. The conical baffles assembly strains the smoke. The helicalbaffles contain spray pipes which emit sprays of water into the smoke toentrain solid particles. The dirty water is drained out through thestack without passing through the conical baffles. The dirty water maybe filtered and recirculated. A deodorant is discharged into the cleanedsmoke before passing up the chimney. A blower forces the cleaneddeodorized smoke up the chimney.

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SMOKE CLEANING APPARATUS The invention relates to the art ofsmoke-cleaning apparatus and more particularly concerns means forcontinuously cleaning and deodorizing smoke generated in a furnace,refuse or garbage incinerator or other combustion system where smokecontaining large solid particles is generated.

I-leretofore apparatus for reducing air pollution caused by smokedischarging furnaces and incinerators has been limited to filters ofvarious kinds, generally screens placed at outlets of chimneys. Suchfilters have not been found satisfactory because they quickly becomeclogged and ineffective. Various types of electrostatic precipitatorshave been proposed to clean smoke, but they are limited to extractingextremely fine particles such as dust or fly ash. They are very complexand expensive and intended for industrial uses such as power plants andblast furnaces. They are not suitable or adapted for use with furnacesor incinerators of homes, apartment houses and 'office buildings whererelatively inexpensive smokecleaning apparatus is required.

According to the invention, smoke bearing large particles is firstpassed through a conical baffie assembly made of closely spacedoverlapping rings at the bottom of a smoke stack or chimney. The conicalbaffie assembly holds back larger particles which fall back to thefurnace for rebuming and removal via cleanout doors in the furnace. Thesmoke then passes through helical baffles in which an apertured spraypipe sprays water to cool the smoke and fumes and entrap furtherparticles in the smoke. The dirty water flows down to the conical baffieand is then drained off to a sewer or to a filter tank and recirculatingpump. The cleaned smoke is then deodorized by a sprayed deodorant andpasses up out of the chimney to atmosphere.

The invention will be described in further detail in connection with thedrawings, wherein:

FIG. I is a vertical sectional view partially diagrammatic in form of anincinerator or furnace equipped with smoke-cleaning apparatus accordingto the invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale of part of asmoke treatment stack, shown in FIG. 1, portions being omitted.

FIG. 3 and FIGI4 are cross-sectional views taken on lines 3-3 and 4-4respectively of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are vertical sectional views similar to FIG. 1, showingthree other smoke-cleaning systems.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of thesystem of FIG. 7, showing details of construction.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a combustion andsmoke-cleaning system 10 including an incinerator or furnace 12 mountedon a basement floor 14. At front wall 16 of the furnace is an oil or gasburner 18 burning fuel in a combustion chamber 20 and generating fumesand smoke 22. The furnace has a flue 24 formed by part of a verticalchimney 25 but closed off at the top by a partition wall or plate 26.The flue has a lateral opening 28 communicating with lateral opening30-at the bottom of a smoke treatment stack 32 mounted on top wall 34 ofthe furnace. Furnace 12 has cleanout doors 29,31 in side and rear walls.

Stack 32 as clearly shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is an axially verticalcylinder closed at the bottom by wall 34 of the furnace but providedwith lateral bottom opening 30.-lnside the stack is a helical baffle 36formed by four radial twisted plates 37 and defining four helicalpassages 38 through the stack from bottom to top of the baffie. A pipe40 extends axially of the baffie 36 and is secured therein. Pipe 40 isconnected by a bottom fitting 42 to a water supply pipe 44 controlled byan electrically operated valve 46. Pipe 44 extends radially outward ofthe stack just below the baffie 36. Pipe 40 has a multiplicity of holes48 circumferentially and axially spaced apart to discharge water sprays50 into passages 38 for the entire length of the baffles.

At the top of pipe 44 is a nozzle 52 provided with circumferential holesaxially upward through pipe 40 is another pipe 56. This pipe terminatesin a nozzle 58 just above nozzle 52 to spray a deodorant 64 axiallyupward in chamber 59 of stack 32. Pipe 56 has a fitting 58 at its lowerend just below fitting 42. Secured to fitting 58 is a pipe 60 whichextends radially outward of stack 32 and terminates at a container 62 ofa suitable liquid deodorant 64. Container 62 is supported by bracket 63on the furnace wall 16. Pipe 60 is connected to container 62 via anelectrically controlled valve 66.

Just above nozzles 52 and 58 in chamber 59 are rotary blades 68 of ablower 70. The blower includes a shaft 74 journaled in a bearing 75supported by bracket 76 at top wall 78 of stack 32. Shaft 74 ishorizontal and extends diametrally outward of the stack. Motor 80supported by bracket 82 at stack 32 drives the rotary blades 68. Theblades 68 are located at lateral opening 83 formed at the upper end ofthe sidewall of stack 32. Opening 83 communicates with opening 84 formedin the side of stack 25. The top wall 78 of stack 32 abuts the undersideof basement ceiling 86. Near the lower end of stack 32 is a conicalbaffie assembly 90. This assembly as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4,includes a series of tapered overlapped rings 92 of progressivelysmaller diameter from bottom to top. The rings are held in spacedrelationship by bars 94 which extend between top circular plate 95 andlowermost ring 92'. Rivets 96 join the rings 92 to the bars to form aunitary assembly. Spaces 93 between the rings permit free passage ofsmoke 22 upwardly through the baffle assembly 90 to baffle 36. At thesame time the conical bafile assembly 90 catches waste and dirty waterflowing out the bottom of baffie 36. A drain pipe 98 is connected tobottom ring 92 and drains the waste water out of stack 32 from which thewaste water is discharged into a sewer (not shown).

The system 10 is arranged so that it can be energized by a single phasepower supply of l 10 volts AC. Power is applied at terminals 99. Wires101 are connected via fuses and ganged arms 102 of switch 104 to valve46, valve 66, motor 80 and fuel burner 18.

In operation of system 10, when switch 104 is closed, and valve 46closes also and water under pressure will be forced through pipes 44 and40 and will be so be discharged a sprays 50 to cool smoke and fumes 22passing through baffie passages 38. The water will entrap particles ofthe smoke and will flow out of stack 32 via baffie assembly 90 anddrainpipe 98. Valve 66 closes and burner 18 and motor 80 are turned onwhen switch 104 is closed. The draft created by blower blades 68maintains a suction above nozzle 58 so that deodorant 64 is drawn upinto space 59 and is volatilized there. Washed, deodorized gases aredrawn by the blower into chimney 25 through openings 83 and 84 and passup the chimney to external atmosphere.

In FIG. 5 is shown a combustion and smoke-cleaning system 10A whichgenerally is similar to system 10 of FIGS. 1-4 and 1 corresponding partsare identically numbered. In system 10A the helical baffle 36 is mountedin an intermediate section of stack or chimney 25a. The bottom end ofstack or chimney 25a communicates with furnace 12a through an opening inthe top wall 34a of the fumace. Are movable cover is provided at opening122 through which refuse can be thrown if the furnace is to be usedas awaste incinerator. Baffle assembly 90 mounted just below baffle 36drains dirty water via pipe 98 into a tank 125. This tank is keptpartially filled with water 126 by a water supply pipe 128. Removablescreen filters l30-are vertically disposed in spaced positions in thetank. These filters catch solid particles and sludge entrained by waterdrained out of the chimney.

A water pump 132 is supported just above tank 125. This pump draws waterup out of the left end of the tank via pipe 134. The water at this endof the tank is filtered through screen filters 130. Tank serves torecirculate the water so that a minimum of water is wasted. The onlywater consumed is that which passes up out of the chimney with thewashed smoke. Pipe 128 is only used to keep the tank filled to level Land only replaces water lost in passing up the chimney.

Deodorant tank 62a is supported by suitable bracket 136. It is closed bya removably cap 138 having an air hole 140. The deodorant 64 flowsthrough pipe 68a to pipe 56 axiallydisposed inside of pipe 40. Thedeodorant discharges as a volatized spray 64' from nozzle 58 todeodorize the washed smoke and fumes passing up the chimney to externalatmosphere. Valve 66, pump 132 and burner 18 are connected via wires101a to terminals 99 of the power supply. The valve closes and both thepump and burners are turned on when switch 104 is closed. The systemoperates continuously to wash and deodorize smoke. The spaces betweenrings 92 of baffle assembly 90 can be made small enough so that thisassembly serves as a filter to retain large particles which will dropback into the furnace for rebuming.

In FIG. 6 is shown a combustion and smoke-cleaning system 103 in whichparts corresponding to those of systems and 10A are identicallynumbered. System 108 employs the same water recirculation tank 125 assystem 10A and is refilled by pipe 128b. Helical baffle 36 is mounted ina section 32b of a smoke treatment stack 150. Stack 150 has a verticalpartition 152 dividing it into two vertical sections 32b and 32b.Deodorant supply pipe 60b opens into chamber 151 at the bottom ofsection 32b below an auxiliary conical baffle assembly 90b. Thisassembly has a drain pipe 154 draining into stack section 32b just abovebaffle assembly 90. Section 32b has a lateral opening 154 communicatingwith lateral opening 156 in the bottom of chimney 25b. Flue 240 at thebottom of chimney 25b has a top wall 26b to guide smoke into the bottomof stack section 32b from the top of furnace 12b. Blower blades 68b arelocated at opening 158 in the upper end of partition 152. The upper endofpipe 40 terminates in a fitting 160 to which laterally extending pipe162 is connected. This pipe extends into section 32b and has a sprayhead 164 and nozzle 165 discharging water spray 166 in stack section 32bon to baffle assembly 90b.

In operation of system 108, the smoke passes up flue 24b and throughbaffleassembly 90 to helical baffle 36. There water sprays 50 wash thesmoke. The smoke is then drawn by rotating blower blades 68b into thetop of stack section 32b where water spray 166 washes the smoke again.The washed gases then pass down through baffle assembly 90b into thebottom of chimney 25b from which they go up and are discharged toatmosphere. The dirty water in section 32b drains into stack section 32band then out through drainpipe 98b to tank 125. There the dirty water isfiltered by the screen filters 130 and is recirculated by pump 132 as insystem 10A. The deodorant 64 is discharged in chamber 151 at the bottomof section 32b just before the fumes pass up the chimney 25b.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show combustion and smoke-cleaning system 10C in whichparts corresponding to those of systems 10, 10A and 10B are identicallynumbered. In system 10C smokecleaning stack 200 is mounted at the rearend wall 202 of furnace 120. End wall 202 has an opening 204communicating with a flue 206. The flue opens into conical baffleassembly 90c at the bottom of stack section 208. Stack 200 is divided byvertical partition 210 into two sections 209 and 212. Helical baffles36c and 36d are mounted in sections 208 and 212 respectively. Pipe 214from a suitable water supply is connected via electrically operatedvalve 216 to fitting 218 at the bottom of stack section 208. Spray pipe40 extends vertically through baffle 36c to emit water sprays 50 intosmoke passing up the stack section 208.

At the top of pipe 40 is spray head 220 shown in FIG. 8. A laterallyextending pipe 222 extends radially from head 220 through partition 210into stack section 212. Two sets of spaced curved baffles 224 and 226are mounted at the top of stack 200 and extend diagonally upward to topwall 228 from the upper end of partition 210. Rods 230 support thebaffles 224 and 226. Smoke leaving the top of stack section 208 entersthe top of section 212. Pipe 222 terminates in a spray head 232 to whichvertical spray pipe 234 is connected. Pipe 234 extends axially ofhelical baffle 36d and terminates in a bottom spray head or nozzle 336just above conical baffle 90d.

Blower 240 has rotary blades 242 located in duct 243 between the bottomof stack section 212 and bottom of chimney 25c. The chimney is closedoff from direct communication with furnace 12c by a plate 244. Blades242 are rotated by motor 246 via rotary shaft 248 which extendshorizontally through walls 249 of the stack 200 and through partition210.

Deodorant 64 is contained in a container 620 mounted outside of stack200. Pipe 250 draws the deodorant from container 62c and passes it viavalve 660 to a nozzle 252 located just forwardly of blades 242 in duct243. Thus deodorized gases pass up the chimney 250. In system 10C thesmoke 220 is washed in helical baffles 36,3611 of both stack sections.Dirty water from stack section 212 drains off via short pipe 254 intostack section 208. Pipe 256 drains dirty water out of stack section 208.Both drainpipes are located at the bottom rings 92 of the respectivebaffle assemblies 900 and d.

In all forms of the invention described, the smoke is effectivelystrained or filtered through at least one conical baffle assembly andthen is washed in a helical baffle. Then it is deodorized before passingup a chimney to the atmosphere.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and that various changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the invention and asdefined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Smoke-cleaning apparatus for a furnace, comprising a vertical stackcommunicating with the furnace to receive smoke therefrom; a conicalbaffle means disposed in said stack to strain the smoke; a helicalbaffle disposed in the stack for receiving smoke from the baffleassembly; a container of a volatile deodorant in fluid communicationwith said stack; a perforated pipe extending vertically through thehelical baffle for discharging sprays of water therewithin to wash smokepassing therethrough; and means for draining dirty water off the conicalbaffle means as it flows out of helical baffle.

2. Smoke-cleaning apparatus as defined by claim 1, further comprisingpipe means connecting said container of volatile deodorant to adischarge point in the stack beyond said helical baffle for deodorizingfumes before they pass out of the stack to external atmosphere.

3. Smoke-cleaning apparatus as defined by claim 2, further comprising atank for receiving said dirty water drained off the conical bafflemeans; a filter means in the tank to strain the dirty water; a pumpconnected to the tank to draw off strained water therefrom; other pipemeans connecting said pump to said perforated pipe to supply waterthereto; and water supply means connected to said tank for keeping thetank filled to a predetermined level.

4. Smoke-cleaning apparatus as defined by claim 2, further comprising ablower located in the stack beyond said helical baffle for forcingdeodorized fumes out of the stack.

5. Smoke-cleaning apparatus as defined by claim 4, further comprising atank for receiving said dirty water drained off the conical bafflemeans; a filter means in the tank to strain the dirty water; a pumpconnected to the tank to draw off strained water therefrom; other pipemeans connecting said pump to said perforated pipe to supply waterthereto; and water supply means connected to said tank for keeping thetank filled to a predetermined level;

6. Smoke-cleaning apparatus as defined by claim 4, wherein said bloweris located beyond said point where deodorant is discharged in the stack.

7. Smoke-cleaning apparatus as defined by claim 4, wherein said bloweris located between the helical baffle and the point where the deodorantis discharged in the stack.

8. Smoke-cleaning apparatus as defined by claim 7, further comprisinganother conical baffle means in the stack for straining the smoke again,said other conical baffle means being located between said blower andsaid point where deodorant is discharged in the stack; means forspraying water on the other conical baffle means; and mean for drainingdirty water off from said other conical baffle means.

. in said tank between the two helical 9. Smoke-cleaning apparatus asdefined by claim 7, further comprising another conical baffle means inthe stack for straining the smoke again, said other conical baffle meansbeing located between said blower and said helical baffle; anotherhelical bafile located in the stack between said other conical bafflemeans and the first helical bafile; another perforated pipe in saidother helical baffle for spraying water into smoke passing through theother helical baffle; means for draining dirty water passing out of bothhelical baffles on to the conical bafile means; and curved baffle platesinterposed baffles for passing smoke from the first named helical baffleto the other helical baffle.

10. Smoke-cleaning apparatus as defined by claim 8, further comprising atank for receiving dirty water drained off of both conical baffle means;filter means in the tank to strain the dirty water; a pump connected tothe tank to draw off strained water therefrom; other pipe meansconnecting said pump to said perforated pipe to supply water thereto;and water supply means connected to said tank for keeping the tankfilled to a predetermined level.

2. Smoke-cleaning apparatus as defined by claim 1, further comprisingpipe means connecting said container of volatile deodorant to adischarge point in the stack beyond said helical baffle for deodorizingfumes before they pass out of the stack to external atmosphere. 3.Smoke-cleaning apparatus as defined by claim 2, further comprising atank for receiving said dirty water drained off the conical bafflemeans; a filter means in the tank to strain the dirty water; a pumpconnected to the tank to draw off strained water therefrom; other pipemeans connecting said pump to said perforated pipe to supply waterthereto; and water supply means connected to said tank for keeping thetank filled to a predetermined level.
 4. Smoke-cleaning apparatus asdefined by claim 2, further comprising a blower located in the stackbeyond said helical baffle for forcing deodorized fumes out of thestack.
 5. Smoke-cleaning apparatus as defined by claim 4, furthercomprising a tank for receiving said dirty water drained off the conicalbaffle means; a filter means in the tank to strain the dirty water; apump connected to the tank to draw off strained water therefrom; otherpipe means connecting said pump to said perforated pipe to supply waterthereto; and water supply means connected to said tank for keeping thetank filled to a predetermined level;
 6. Smoke-cleaning apparatus asdefined by claim 4, wherein said blower is located beyond said pointwhere deodorant is discharged in the stack.
 7. Smoke-cleaning apparatusas defined by claim 4, wherein said blower is located between thehelical baffle and the point where the deodorant is discharged in thestack.
 8. Smoke-cleaning apparatus as defined by claim 7, furthercomprising another conical baffle means in the stack for straining thesmoke again, said other conical baffle means being located between saidblower and said point where deodorant is discharged in the stack; meansfor spraying water on the other conical baffle means; and mean fordraining dirty water off from said other conical baffle means. 9.Smoke-cleaning apparatus as defined by claim 7, further comprisinganother conical baffle means in the stack for straining the smoke again,said other conical baffle means being located between said blower andsaid helical baffle; another helical baffle located in the stack betweensaid other conical baffle means and the first helical baffle; anotherperforated pipe in said other helical baffle for spraying water intosmoke passing through the other helical baffle; means for draining dirtywater passing out of both helical baffles on to the conical bafflemeans; and curved baffle plates interposed in said tank between the twohelical baffles for passing smoke from the first named helical baffle tothe other helical baffle.
 10. Smoke-cleaning apparatus as defined byclaim 8, further comprising a tank for receiving dirty water drained offof both conical baffle means; filter means in the tank to strain thedirty water; a pump connected to the tank to draw off strained watertherefrom; other pipe means connecting said pump to said perforated pipeto supply water thereto; and water supply means connected to said tankfor keeping the tank filled to a predetermined level.